Lessons: PREVIOUS... 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 ...NEXT
Lets take a look at Lucifer. The very first thing you should know is that lucifer is a Latin word that means "light bearer" or "bringer of the light." In pre-Christian times, the Romans used the term Lucifer to describe the planet Venus when it was the last bright object in the sky before sunrise. Another phrase commonly used for this (even in modern times) is "The Morning Star". Lucifer, the Morning Star, symbolizes the light shining in the darkness. It heralds the rising of the Sun, which banishes the night. St. John the Baptist (the patron saint of Freemasonry) relates to this archetype as well. He was the voice calling out in the wilderness and heralded the coming of the Son of God, Jesus. The rooster or "cock" also fits into this symbolism [also see the Gnostic deity "Abraxas"] as it crows, calling the sun.
There is only one explicit reference to Lucifer in the bible (old and new testaments.) It is found in the King James Version and it is in the book of Isaiah:
4:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
These verses are actually referring to the King of Babylon, who has compared himself to the planet Venus in its aspect as the Morning Star. It is interesting to note that the same phrase is used a couple other times in the bible, but the translators of the King James Version decided not to use the term "Lucifer" in those cases. The first other instance occurs in the Second book of Peter:
1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
This passage is stating that until we forge our own connection with divinity, we have to rely on the teachings of others. The wording is quite poetic and beautiful. However, can you imagine if the translators had been consistent and used "Lucifer" instead of "day star"? In this passage Lucifer, the Light Bearer, would be seen in a good light (pardon the pun) and represents the personal attainment of Gnosis. Surely you can understand why the translators decided to translate it as they did. I would like to point out that this verse is attributed to the apostle Peter, who after denying Christ three times heard the cock crow.
The last biblical mention of Lucifer occurs in the last (22nd) chapter of Revelations (aka the Apocoplyse of St. John the Divine.)
22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David and the bright and morning star.
It is very clear why the translators decided not to use the term "Lucifer" in this instance. The resurrected Jesus declaring himself to be the ancestor of King David AND Lucifer makes sense to me, but it just doesn't jive with the image of Jesus the translators wanted to present. This passage connects the resurrected Jesus to both the lineage of Cain and of Seth. We will have a lot of fun delving into that in later lessons. We've only just scratched the surface of Gnostic Luciferianism. It only gets more interesting from here! Next lesson I will discuss the story of an ancient Greek Light Bearer.
Please sign my guestbook! Click Here